Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff announced the state’s first case two weeks ago.
“Monkeypox does not spread easily between people,” Vanderhoff said during a media briefing. “This is a disease that requires very close, generally very intimate contact between people.”
Columbus Public Health noted in a press release that monkeypox also can spread through contact with sheets, towels and other objects.
Monkeypox starts with flu-like symptoms and a fever followed by a rash or sores, according to the public health agency. Vanderhoff noted during a press briefing earlier this month some cases in the U.S. only involved a rash.
The viral infection can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed. Monkeypox typically lasts two to four weeks, according to Columbus Public Health.
Anyone who encounters a person with monkeypox should wear gloves and a mask.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about monkeypox at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/resources/print.html.
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